Ventilating skylight



NOV. 29, L- w Q VENTILATING SKYLIGHT Filed Aug. 27, 1935 I N V T 7 1 VO m-flsm/ m I MA 5 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1938 I STAT ES.

warmer a VENTILATINGSKYYIJVGHT' 7 Logan Willard Mulford, Long Island City, N. Y. ApplicationAugust 27, 1935, war 38,040

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rzThis invention relates to skylight, vault light or thelike structures, and among the objects are providing for means for ventilation and the control of .ventilation in: conjunction with the sky- This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 640,998 filed November 3, 1932since matured as Patent No; 2,031,328 February 18, 1936.

In my oo-pending application Serial No. 640,998 filed November 3, 1932, I have shown and claimed subject-matter with respect to which the invention hereinafter described may be an addition to, or a modification thereof. In my prior copending application I have described specific forms of a ventilating arrangement of a skylight supported on a curb "bordering a roof opening or the like, and the present application is addressed more particularly to modifications of the combi closureto'control the ventilation.

' The {particular forms of embodiment which are herewith shown and will now be particularly described, comprise'in combination with an overhanging portion of a skylight, resting on a suitable support to provide air passageways; with deep load-supporting skylight -members, which may befabricated metal or otherwise, extending beyond the'suppor't provided underneath with a' Inn closing or opening from the inside of the building. While many variations maybe made from the particular form of embodiments of my invention, 45 I show in the accompanying drawing preferred forms, in which: 1

Fig. I is a perspective View of a portion of a skylight resting'on a roof curb with the overhang having in combination my invention of shutter 50 arrangement. 7 1

Fig. II is a section-on an enlarged scale on line IIII, Fig. I. v

Fig. III is an enlarged view of the overhang end as shown in Fig. II, showing in detail the 55 shutter operating mechanism.

nation in said structures of the regulator or' from the outside and also means to control the Fig.'IV isasectionon line IV IV, Fig. I, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. V is a section on smaller scale of a modified form,-having combined ventilator skylight with a base support, instead of resting on a curb.

In the principal form herewith illustrated, the skylight A has{ its frame members such as BB' overhanging, the curb C,.which is on the roof bordering the skylightopening. While the curb andthe oyerhanging, portion of a skylight are illustrated tor the present purposes as one curb bordering a roof opening, with one side or end of aiskylightoverhanging it, it will be understood that the skylight andcurb may be combined so that the ventilating arrangementis on all sides of the roof opening spanned bythe skylight, or

any number. of :sides as. may be desired. The

In. the modified form the skylight is supported on oroombined, with a base structure, which as shown in a sheet metal base attached to or carryingthe skylight load-carrying members, in a manner that provides a varied means of support for the combined ventilator such as for attachment of the shutter. Y.

-In the-first form illustrated the skylight frame sides and ends BB are deep metal sections embodying near their top the shelf for support of the edge of the glass sections, with plastic expansion material between the metal and the glass, for example, as in my Patent No. 1,784,678, or in my copending application Serial No. 517,144 now Patent No.. 1,987,490, granted January 8, 1935. Between-the outside frame members are longitudinal members B of substantially equal depth as the outside frame members but having glasssupporting shelf formationon both sides. Cross members'Dextend between the side frames and are suitably interconnected with the longitudinal members,'thus for'mi'ng'the support on all sides for the individual panels which are, of course, normally ofglass and sometimes called lenses, but wherein thepresent invention, a panel overhangs a curb C, part or all of a panel need not be transparent and may be of othermaterial suitably-weatherproof and strong, and in effect a plate covering the panel opening near its top.

"The; skylight structure portion overhanging the curb has the lower edges of the deep loadcarrying members resting on the curb, and at the place of the overhang for ventilation purposes, a plate E is secured to the lower edges of the deep frame members, as by welding, and this plate carries a hinge F secured to the shutter G, with the plate and-shutter extending completely across the under side of the skylight. By this arrangement the shutter being made of the right dimensions serves to close the aperture between the plate E and the end frame member B, and the shutter may be moved in the closed position to completely close that entire gap, and thereby stop the flow of air in or out, or in other words control the ventilation. By arranging the support of the shutter so that it moves downward, a single shutter member can extend the full width of the under side of the ventilating air gap, and can be articulated without interference by the frame members of the skylight structure, and the skylight structure members provide the means for advantageously arranging for the remote control of the shutter.

The form of control and manipulation hereby illustrated is shown in larger scale in detail, which detail however maybe varied in many ways. In the form shown an eye bolt H has the eye it through which to' reeve a pull-rope, and has on its shank means to support the pivot h to carry a lever J connected with a pin 9' adapted to release a spring latch K. The spring latch is formed, as shown in Fig. 111, to catch the edge of the shutter G and is' spring pressed automatically to hold the shutter, but may be pressed out of locking support of the shutter by means of pin ;i when the rocker arm is pulled by the control rope or cable J, and the spring latch may also be displaced to release the shutter by anyone on the outside of the skylight, such as might be desirable by anyone working on the roof adjacent the skylight, for any desired purpose, while the shutter may also be closed from the outside by direct manipulation. t

The remote control from the inside of the building is efiected by pull-rope L attached to an eye Z secured to the shutter G, and passing through the eye It and then .carried through an eye Z attached to one of the deep membersB', and extending downward to convenient reach and attachment inside the building. The means of release from the inside comprises the pull-rope J attached to the upper end of the lever J, and passing through an eye :i' secured to one of the skylight frame members, and from there passing down to the interior of the building accessible for convenient manipulation. The means of release from the inside and the means of closing the shutter from the inside may include a continuous pull-rope, as shown. For convenience and as a means of indicating the opened or closed position of the ventilating shutter, appropriate means of attachment of the looped end of the pull-ropes may be provided. For example, the loop may pass around asuitable sheave, and the mechanzsm so proportioned that the weight of the shutter alone will not pull the release latch, so. that when the shutter is closed from the inside that condition is indicated by the pull-rope held by a hook or sheave, so that a release on the inside with a pull of the latch-rope, with a paying-out of the shutter 'rope or cable gives a different positi'on of the loop indicating that the ventilating control is open. Intermediate points of attachment of the loop can servetor difierentset positiliifs'oi the shutter for more or less ventilation.

It will be understood that the shutter preferably ma-de in one piece may extend for a considerable length, and span several panels from side-to-side of the skylight. For the secure control there may be more than one latch K, and there may be more than one closing cable or line, referred to as the pull-rope. Likewise, if desired, several sections of shutters may be made, and shutters may be provided on more than one or on all four sidesof the skylight when it is desired to have the overhangiventilation provided to accommodate diiferent directions of wind to assure a better draft for the ventilation.

While I have shown a continuous plate, preferably of metal, such serves the purpose of providing suitable weight for automatic opening when released, variations in construction may be inade or a multiple shutter and both hinge and outer joints formed in various ways to assure roper sealing when closed, or otherwise to meet any particular conditions in detail construction. Many variations may be made for remote control or outside roof manipulation, other than those herein specifically described. In general, many variations may be made in the practice of my invention.

In the modified form shown in Fig. V, the sky* light outside frame members M, M support the glass of the skylight, and members like M are connected with the side N of a base having a foot 72 adapted to rest on a roof or the like. The hinge F is in this case attached to the base side or sheathing N and the shutter G is also attached to the hinge. In this form the base structure provides the means for attachment of the hinge, and as the side of the base is attached to the skylight frame members M, the shutter is held in a position to register with the overhang end of the skylight, so that when closed the shutter G engages the lower edge of the skylight member M, and when the shutter is open it admits air for ventilation above the top edge N of the base and under the glass in the skylight.

In this form the manipulation of the shutter is by pull-rope L passing through eyes or cleats, and being attached at its outer end to the shutter, while the inner end passes through suitable guides, with one pull-rope from each side, to .a bar 0. As shown, the pull-ring P has two legs extending through the bar O and attached to 'a bar R, while a spring S between the two bars serves to force them apart, and. with the bar R abutting against a fixed member T, the spring automatically pulls the closing rope or cable and closes the shutters. The pull-ring P provides the means for manipulating the'release of the bar R from the fixed abutments T, thus releasing the shutter closing cable L and allowing the shutter to drop open into position to provide ventilation.

Besides the modification described, it will be understood that my invention may be combined in many ways with skylights and the like,- whether supported on roof curbs or on their individual bases, or in any other manner. While my invention is described in the broad term skylight, it is understood that this includes vault lights and any other like applications, where the advantages of my invention can be realized.

Without limiting myself-to the particular form of embodiment of my invention herein shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ventilating skylight structure comprising the combination of a skylight structure and a supporting roof curb, said skylight structure having deep load-carrying members extending transversely over the curb outside of the skylight roof opening providing a portion of the skylight structure overhanging the curb and.

spaced above the adjacent roof surface, an articulated ventilating control shutter attached to the bottom of the overhang of the skylight structure and means for remote control of the closing and opening of said shutter from the interior of the building.

2. A ventilating skylight structure comprising the combination of a skylight structure and a supporting roof curb, said skylight structure having load-carrying members extending over the curboutside of the skylight roof opening providing a portion of the skylight structure and overhanging the curb and spaced above the roof, an articulated ventilating control shutter attached to the bottom of the overhang of the skylight structure, and means for control of the closing and opening of said shutter.

3. The combination with a skylight, vaultlight or the like, and a structural support bordering an opening in a roof or the like, a fabricated load-supporting structure having light apertures with glass or lenses embedded therein, deep loadsupporting members in said structure, a portion of said skylight partially overhanging said structural support, whereby deep load-supporting members on said fabricated structure lie across said support providing passage for air between said portion and the support and between'the load-carrying members and a control shutter attached to the bottom of the overhanging portion of said skylight structure.

4. A ventilating skylight structure comprising the combination of a skylight structure and a structural support bordering an opening in a roof or the like, said skylight structure having load-carrying members extending over the structural support outside of the roof opening providing a. portion of the skylight structure overhanging the structural support, an articulated ventilating control shutter attached to the bottom of the overhang of the skylight structure, and means permitting closing'and opening said shutter.

5. A ventilating skylight structure comprising a skylight having glasses or lenses and their supporting members, deep support-members at the borders of the skylight structure extending substantially below the lower surface of the glasses, a base attached to said deep supporting members above the roof, so constructed and arranged whereby a ventilating air-gap is provided between the base and some portion of the overhanging deep border members, and a shutter adapted for articulation close to said base for closing or opening said gap.

6. The combination with a skylight, a light opening in a building structure, a structural support bordering said opening, a fabricated loadsupporting structure having light apertures spanned with plates of translucent material, deep load-supporting members in said structure, a portion of said skylight overhanging said struc tural support, whereby said deep load-supporting members of the fabricated structure lie across said support providing a passage for air between the fabricated structure and the support, and a shutter to control the passage of air attached at the lower portion of said load-carrying members outside of the support and articulated to be voluntarily shifted to open or close said air passage.

7. A skylight having light sections and a supporting base, load-carrying structure supporting said light sections, deep load-carrying members in said structure adapted to partially overhang said supporting base, whereby a substantially horizontal ventilating opening is formed at the lower edge of said'deep load-carrying members, and a shutter articulated to said skylight adapted to open or close said substantially horizontal opening.

8. In combination with a skylight having a main top skylight surface and a curb support therefor, a skylight structure having deep loadcarrying members, a portion of said skylight structure extending outside the curb, whereby anopening is provided under and protected by said main skylight surface, and an articulated shutter so constructed and arranged that when in substantially horizontal position to close said opening, and when open to be protected by the overhanging portion of the skylight.

9. In combination with a skylight and a roof curb supporting the same, deep load-carrying structural members for said skylight extending substantially horizontal to the inside and outside of the curb and forming a passage between the curb and lights at the top surface of the skylight, a deep border member outside of the curb on the skylight extending to the lower edge of the deep load-carrying members and forming therewith a protected ventilating opening, and a damper articulated to therstructural members, so constructed and arranged whereby it closes said air passage when in substantially horizontal position.

LOGAN WILLARD MULFORD. 

